It has even gotten to the point where hip hop has been split into two categories: “fake” and “real”. "Fake hip hop" is rap primarily concerned with talking about how much money you have, what type of car you drive, how many females you had intercourse with last night and other trivial occurrences. "Real hip hop" encapsulates the true essence of hip hop culture, untarnished by impurities such as rapacious record labels and vapid, materialistic subject matter. This is a false dichotomy, and the people who adhere to it are mostly fans who vehemently oppose mainstream rap music. They contend that real hip hop is embodied by underground/alternative or independent artists who are not contributing to the wholesale destruction of a culture.
Also, the internet has been a breeding ground for producing a plethora of pastiches and carbon copies of extant rappers, with no hint of creativity or originality. Becoming a rapper, albeit not necessarily famous, is relatively easy now in this day and age due to technology. One can simply upload a video onto YouTube, wisely advertise their song via word of mouth, and voilà, in no time their views will skyrocket. This constant influx of internet rappers is inundating hip hop with more rappers than it needs. Not only has technology inhibited hip hop to an extent, the commercialization of hip hop music has put revenue and sales ahead of the advancement of this genre - catering to the consumer is the industry’s raison d’être.
This genre has been transformed into, what Michael Eric Dyson refers to as a commodity fetish! The primary function of rap is to sell music, but its secondary function is also remarkably effective at selling other products. For instance, in many rap videos, brand name alcoholic beverages, the most expensive automobiles, the latest outfits and other hot commodities are conspicuously shown in order to attract attention to what is popular. If a rapper is adorned in the latest outfits and other miscellaneous items, the viewer may start to confuse his/her wants with his/her needs. Popular figureheads such as Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Gucci Mane have gained notoriety through BET, MTV, VH1, the radio and other mass media outlets. These aforementioned figureheads are marketable enough to promote superficiality, materialism and all things negative.
The transition from songs about the hardships in poverty-stricken areas (while not glorifying this stigma) to lyrics embellished with the lavish lifestyles of multi-millionaires directly shows the presence of ulterior motives. In turn, this reinforces stereotypes about minorities and b*stardizes a subculture, while successfully misleading the impressionable and malleable minds of the youth. This blatantly obvious corruption, although not solely responsible, can cause juvenile behavior which might possibly lead to incarceration or dysfunctional lives.
@ That Lame "ModernAcademia" posting "Words I never said" as an example of a good "Hip Hop" song
for having Gucci mentioned alongside Em and Jigga